IDG News’ Nancy Goehring checked out the Android Market, Google’s app store for the new G1 and other phones based on its Android OS, and uncovered a wealth of information, including the fact that Google does have the ability to remotely kill unsavory applications downloaded to Android phones–a kill switch, just like the Apple iPhone. The big difference between the two, however, is that Google tells developers about the kill switch up front, before they make their apps available in the store, while Apple waited for developers to figure it out and then admitted its existence.
According to the Android Market’s terms of service:
“Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement … in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion.”
Another big difference is that Google will work to reimburse users for any application they bought that needs to be remotely killed, something Apple has yet to spell out. So while on the iPhone, an app may just disappear one day, with an Android phone, if it disappears, at least you ‘may’ get reimbursed. As Goehring presents it:
Google said that it will make “reasonable efforts to recover the purchase price of the product … from the original developer on your behalf.” If Google fails to get the full amount back, it will divide what it gets among affected users.
Actually, having a kill switch for Android apps makes a lot more sense than with the iPhone, since Google isn’t pre-vetting applications before they become available on the Android Market (unlike Apple, which tightly controls each and every app in their App Store). Android’s openness is liable to result in more instances of malware and inappropriate apps, so having a mechanism for removing them is key. The fact that Google is upfront about the mechanism leaves the choice of whether to use the Market in developers hands, where it belongs. It’s just another way that Google’s open stance trumps Apple’s closed strategy.
